Waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery: average pay and jobs in the UK
Full-time employees in waste collection, treatment and disposal activities; materials recovery earned a median £38,511 in the year to 5 April 2025 (ONS ASHE), £528 less than across all industries.
What the figures show
That is 48th of 84 divisions.
93% of jobs are full-time.
Full-time medians: women £34,947, men £38,899.
The median rose 34.2% from £28,695 in 2021.
The Business Register and Employment Survey counts 138,000 people working in it in Great Britain in 2024, up 5% since 2019; 15% are in South East.
There were 8,700 business sites in March 2026, 55 of them employing 250 or more (UK Business Counts).
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £26,550 | £516.40 | £12.90 | £23,539* | £490.00 | £12.70 |
| 20th percentile | £29,537 | £573.90 | £13.86 | £27,538 | £544.10 | £13.61 |
| 25th percentile | £31,027 | £600.60 | £14.25 | £29,252 | £573.40 | £14.06 |
| 30th percentile | £32,806 | £633.20 | £14.81 | £30,892 | £600.60 | £14.55 |
| 40th percentile | £35,599 | £679.50 | £15.69 | £34,079 | £657.10 | £15.60 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £38,511 | £734.90 | £16.60 | £37,344 | £718.50 | £16.50 |
| 60th percentile | £41,314 | £799.70 | £17.90 | £40,075 | £782.20 | £17.81 |
| 70th percentile | £45,761 | £891.70 | £20.12 | £44,771 | £879.60 | £20.03 |
| 75th percentile | £48,450 | £939.60 | £21.25 | £47,022 | £922.00 | £21.09 |
| 80th percentile | £51,162 | £1,004.40 | £22.60 | £50,373 | £985.00 | £22.56 |
| 90th percentile | – | £1,244.00* | £28.79* | – | £1,230.10* | £28.77* |
| Mean | £43,160 | £835.30 | £19.38 | £41,146 | £803.20 | £19.45 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £28,695 | £592.60 | £13.03 | £27,580 | £568.20 | 95 |
| 2022 revised | £31,408 | £639.20 | £14.11 | £29,983 | £604.30 | 106 |
| 2023 revised | £34,112 | £678.40 | £15.22 | £32,862 | £655.90 | 113 |
| 2024 revised | £36,770 | £720.70 | £16.09 | £35,695 | £702.20 | 114 |
| 2025 provisional | £38,511 | £734.90 | £16.60 | £37,344 | £718.50 | 121 |
Where the 138,000 jobs are, 2024
| Region or nation | Employees | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| South East | 21,000 | 21,000 |
| North West | 17,000 | 17,000 |
| London | 15,000 | 15,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| South West | 13,000 | 13,000 |
| East of England | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| Scotland | 12,000 | 12,000 |
| West Midlands | 11,000 | 11,000 |
| East Midlands | 9,000 | 9,000 |
| Wales | 9,000 | 9,000 |
| North East | 7,000 | 7,000 |
| Great Britain | 137,000 | 138,000 |
8,700 business sites by size
| Staff | Sites, March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Micro (0 to 9) | 6,040 |
| Small (10 to 49) | 1,970 |
| Medium (50 to 249) | 635 |
| Large (250 or more) | 55 |
| Total | 8,700 |
2021: 8,440; 2022: 8,735; 2023: 8,810; 2024: 8,795; 2025: 8,860; 2026: 8,700.
Related
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities · Sewerage · Remediation activities and other waste management services · UK average weekly earnings growth
ASHE Table 16: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · notes · 15 October 2026